GPS – Inside BlackBerryhttp://blogs.blackberry.com
The Official BlackBerry BlogFri, 09 Dec 2016 15:30:13 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/http://1.gravatar.com/blavatar/b404bd76bdce530326a3db3e9a60a43d?s=96&d=http%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngGPS – Inside BlackBerryhttp://blogs.blackberry.com
Police are Using Yesterday’s Tech to Fight Today’s Crimes. BlackBerry Software Can Help.http://blogs.blackberry.com/2016/09/police-are-using-yesterdays-tech-to-fight-todays-crimes-blackberry-software-can-help/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2016/09/police-are-using-yesterdays-tech-to-fight-todays-crimes-blackberry-software-can-help/#commentsTue, 06 Sep 2016 16:05:33 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/?p=35251/ Read More]]>In a violent, scary world, the mission of public safety officers is constrained because they aren’t effectively leveraging an omni-present device: their smartphones (and the software and services available from them). Because most official emergency communications still come through outdated radios and computers bolted to cop cars, officers don’t have the right resources to stop crimes from escalating (or even happening in the first place). As a result, we’re putting them – and citizens – at higher risk.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Over the last six months alone, seven U.K. police agencies have signed on to have BlackBerry enterprise software power their smartphone-based secure communications and collaboration channels. They’re switching from tactical mobile device management (MDM) solutions, including AirWatch and MobileIron, to BlackBerry’s enterprise suite. They’re leveraging the work our Government Solutions division has done with our partners and law enforcement customers to provide a set of modern technologies to address some of the most critical problems in policing, including solutions for crime investigations, commander communication, first responders, field officers, intra-agency collaboration, and more.

These customers recognize that today’s BlackBerry is not about smartphones; while we still sell devices, today’s BlackBerry is about providing the leading software solutions that enable public agencies and private businesses to achieve their IT strategy.

Officers Know: That’s Why Shadow IT is So Common

Police officers already know their smartphones are valuable to their work – 90% of them say they’re already using a smartphone on the job, but only 17% have an agency-issued device. In order to do their jobs efficiently, these officers are using their personal devices, along with the text messaging, email, and calling apps that come on them, and storing photos and documents in consumer-grade cloud services.

That’s a whole lot of shadow IT happening in an industry that should have as much security as any financial institution or other regulated industry. And, unless enterprise-grade, secure, smartphone-based communications tech becomes the norm in law enforcement, this will not change.

How Secure, Modern Communications Improves Policing

We’d solve a lot of policing problems if officers turned in their radios for smartphones protected by a secure communications platform.

First response: In addition to intelligent dispatching, officers now can use secure real-time collaboration and two-way secure voice to coordinate more effectively. Also, it allows medics to securely send information and images so hospital staff are ready to treat a seriously injured person as soon as the ambulance gets to the emergency department.

Situational awareness: Secure messaging and document-sharing apps give officers more information in advance, both background and real-time, so they’re ready for what they may encounter when responding to a call.

Predictive policing: Data and analytics from Internet of Things devices, social media, and other technologies, delivered over a secure platform, help police forecast, predict, and anticipate a situation. Social media is an important (and untapped) source of information about public safety risks. Think about the teen who sends a Snapchat or Instagram to a handful of friends about an opportunity to hang out while his parents are away, which is then shared across social media, then mushrooms into a party with hundreds of underage drinkers. Or people in an active-shooter situation posting real-time information on Facebook or Twitter.

Better use of location data: While police cars are usually tracked by GPS, there is no similar setup for officers on foot, bike, or horse. Smartphone GPS tracking would enable dispatchers to make better use of these officers at public events or in high-traffic cities, where they often patrol.

Body camera data storage: The escalation of police officers wearing body cameras has created the problem of how to collect and store video. Today officers have to return to the police station to transfer the data. But a secure-streaming system can send the data remotely to the main records storage system on the fly.

Collaboration (and silo busting): Secure, interoperable communications channels with embedded digital-rights management (DRM) facilitates investigations by allowing police to share data, files, and other information with social workers, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations, while maintaining full control of their data.

Efficiency: Like other government agencies, law enforcement agencies are coping with severe cost pressures, and secure communications channels can increase police efficiency through better, faster collaboration.

Putting Technology into Action

A growing number of police forces are already putting these advanced communications technologies into action with solutions including the Good Secure EMM Suites; BES12 EMM; WatchDox DRM-protected file sharing; AtHoc personnel location, accountability, and communications; and BBM Enterprise (formerly known as BBM Protected) secure messaging. These cross-platform solutions protect whatever devices your officers carry – including Android, iOS, Microsoft, and BlackBerry smartphones and tablets – so they can work with their device of choice without compromise.

As law enforcement agencies around the world are learning, today’s cutting edge mobile enterprise management solutions and apps can arm officers with the tools and information they need to do their jobs better, more efficiently, and more securely. And, as a side benefit, they help agencies achieve the universal mandate for governments to do more with fewer and fewer resources.

For more information about how you can join these agencies at the cutting-edge of policing, visit the official web page.

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2016/09/police-are-using-yesterdays-tech-to-fight-todays-crimes-blackberry-software-can-help/feed/1police walkie-talkiespatkovicpolice walkie-talkieTwo female police officers at workA mid-adult male african american law enforcement officer uses a modern electronic touch screen tablet to enter a citiation or look up information while outdoors.Q&A: See Why this BlackBerry-Loving Pilot Always Travels with Two Passportshttp://blogs.blackberry.com/2015/06/qa-see-why-this-blackberry-loving-pilot-always-travels-with-two-passports/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2015/06/qa-see-why-this-blackberry-loving-pilot-always-travels-with-two-passports/#respondWed, 17 Jun 2015 14:11:00 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/2015/06/qa-see-why-this-blackberry-loving-pilot-always-travels-with-two-passports/Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog: In a field as demanding as aviation, an all-in-one gadget that can help pilots while in…]]>

In a field as demanding as aviation, an all-in-one gadget that can help pilots while in the air is worth its weight in gold. In the field of geophysics, it is essential users have a device that is mobile as possible with a wide variety of features that enable them to contact important clients on the go.

That’s why Maxime Salman, a Geophysicist and Pilot, chooses the BlackBerry Passport. The Passport’s GPS-enabled mapping capabilities help Max fly to and from sites where he searches for commodities such as precious metals. Max also needed a device that doesn’t stop at the border or in harsh conditions.

Maxwell: How does the BlackBerry Passport help you on the job?

Salman: Even when I’m not on a project, I can still communicate with potential employers, contacts and clients – it’s so easy with the keyboard. I’ve owned a Q10, a Classic and now…

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2015/06/qa-see-why-this-blackberry-loving-pilot-always-travels-with-two-passports/feed/0Featured Image -- 26562tmaxwellbbHow to set up and use the Compass in BlackBerry 7http://blogs.blackberry.com/2011/11/set-up-blackberry-compass/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2011/11/set-up-blackberry-compass/#respondFri, 04 Nov 2011 21:10:03 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/?p=11651]]>

A new feature available in select BlackBerry® 7 smartphones (such as the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900/9930 and BlackBerry® Torch™ 9850/9860 smartphones) is the Compass functionality. You can also use the Compass with location-based applications – such as the BlackBerry® Maps application that might be preloaded on your BlackBerry® smartphone – and is designed to provide you with information like driving directions, or your position in relation to points of interest. You can also use the Compass application to determine your direction in relation to the Earth’s magnetic poles or to true north.

Today I’ll show you how you can get up and running with the Compass so you use can take advantage of Augmented Reality apps such as Wikitude – a great way to explore the world around you!

LBS nation, we have good news! The Wi-Fi® geolocation service officially launched on September 9th, 2011. This in-house technology at Research In Motion® (RIM®) uses Wi-Fi Access Point data that’s been collected anonymously by your BlackBerry® smartphone to provide a quick and accurate location fix to location-aware applications globally. This service is a further enhancement to our Cell-site geolocation service, which has been in service globally for more than a year.

Unlike GPS-based location fixes, this service offers a faster and more convenient way for developers to get location fixes via a secure connection with minimum bandwidth usage. Although the accuracy of this service is lower than GPS, it’s higher than Cell-site geolocation, and the speed is expected to be much faster than GPS. One advantage to Wi-Fi geolocation service is that it typically works even when GPS is not available. For example, when a user is indoors or when a user prefers not to turn their GPS on in order to preserve battery life, Wi-Fi geolocation service is still an option.

The APIs needed to acquire Wi-Fi geolocation fixes have been available since the BlackBerry® 6 OS release; therefore, all devices running the BlackBerry 6 OS and higher are able to leverage this service via existing APIs upon provisioning of this service. Please note that service provisioning may take up to a month from the launch date, so we’re asking for your patience and understanding if it doesn’t start working immediately. For APIs and other relevant technical details, please refer to the KB article Location APIs – Start to finish. You can also leverage Simple Location API if you want to get a head-start by skipping the full details.

I am really excited about this service as it opens up a lot of possibilities for innovation and great apps. Let us know when you integrate your app with this service, and let us know how it goes!

But before you get started, there are a few simple steps that you’ll need to take to properly allow the application to find your location and check you in to your favorite Places.

By default, the option Share my Location with Facebook is disabled (unchecked) and may also appear as a non-editable/grayed checkbox. This option will remain grayed out until the application is able to determine that you have allowed Facebook to use Places and you have accepted the Places disclaimer.

It was so busy at CES last week that there was some content recorded that we couldn’t get up during the show. For instance, my interview with Brian from Loopt about their social LBS application for BlackBerry smartphones. Loopt offers local content to help you meet up with nearby friends, explore new places to grab food, and find local events happening around you.

Poynt has been a popular LBS (Location-based Services) BlackBerry smartphone app for as long as it has been available to download. Recently, Poynt has moved out of beta and launched, so I wandered over to the Poynt kiosk at the BlackBerry booth to speak with Margaret about the new release and key Poynt functionality. I also got to see their cool real-time Poynt display. Check it out!

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2010/01/ces-2010-poynt-hands-on-video/feed/3dsoltysWhere Are You?http://blogs.blackberry.com/2009/06/where-are-you/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2009/06/where-are-you/#commentsWed, 10 Jun 2009 16:20:24 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/2009/06/where-are-you// Read More]]>One of the most common questions I get asked when I am chatting with my friends and family is, “Where are you?”

If you are using BlackBerry® Messenger, we have a neat way to send your location to your friends. Choose “Send Location” while you are in the conversation screen.*

Your friend will receive a visual description, with a map and a pointer to where you are, in the conversation window of your friend.

If your friend does not have the latest version of BlackBerry Messenger or BlackBerry Maps installed, they will receive the location information as a URL. If they plug the URL in any desktop internet browser, it will display a map and your location in the browser.

*Note that you and your contact need a device with 4.6 and above with BlackBerry Maps installed to take advantage of this feature.

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2009/06/where-are-you/feed/28sanjayk1Sanjay_where are you_1Sanjay_where are you_2